Amid the growing demand for food that the world is witnessing, increasing yield and productivity in crops has become a priority for farmers. Therefore, adopting strategies that optimize the cultivation system throughout the year is essential for improving results, whether in quantity or quality. Cover crops, for example, contribute to this proposal.
This practice was originally called “green manure”, according to Gânica’s new green manure specialist, Donizeti Carlos. It consists of planting varieties that act physically, chemically and biologically on the soil, preparing it for the cultivation that will subsequently be carried out on the farm.
“Cover crops act both inside the land and outside. On the outside, they create a protective layer against climate action in the off-season and, when they give way to main crops, such as corn and soybeans, for example, they become organic matter to nourish the soil”, explains Donizeti.
Protection against weeds, nematodes and water or wind erosion, nutrient fixation, improvement of water infiltration into the soil and its structure due to the increase in organic matter are the main benefits that planting cover crops provides to the field and, consequently, for farmers’ results.
“These advantages bring a very positive return to producers, who can avoid extra costs with other soil recovery processes, optimizing their property’s budget while improving the quality of the land for the main crops in the crop”, he highlights.
In this sense, planning is an essential tool for producers, considering the cultivation period of the main varieties and the off-season, as well as the local climatic conditions and the specificities and needs of the region's soil.
“To optimize soil fertility, the particular characteristics of each soil, each region and each main plantation must be analyzed for the application of cover crops in the off-season. Each type of plant used for this purpose is adapted, for example, to a specific period of the year, to a specific soil or climatic condition. Therefore, carrying out this planning is essential for farmers”, highlights the expert.
Taking this into consideration, Gânica, a bio-input industry focused on results, quality and innovation, becomes part of the seed market for cover crops, with the launch of the BioRecover line, made up of two solutions for use by farmers in the off-season. of soybean and corn planting.
One of them is based on the Braquiária Ruziziensis plant, sold in 5 kg packages and recommended for cultivation in the months of February and March. The main difference of this material is that the seeds are harvested from dense planting, that is, they fall into the straw and are collected without soil, reducing contamination.
The use of brachiaria for this function has the benefits of reducing disease inoculum pressure and the crop reproduction factor for nematodes, as well as greater development of cover crops and increased biodiversity in the system.
The second option is the 25 kg package with a mix of seeds containing Crotalaria spectabilis, Crotalaria ochroleuca, Guandu, Millet BRS1501, Buckwheat and Forage turnip. Cultivation is also recommended between February and March, in row or broadcast modes
“In the case of using the seed mix for cover production, the nutritional composition of the biomass becomes more diverse and balanced for the nutrition of the successor or intercropped commercial crop. This makes the soil have better chemical, physical and biological quality”, reinforces Donizeti.
The use of cover crops, together with a series of actions carried out on crops, is one of the practices that make up the so-called regenerative agriculture, whose objective is to recover impoverished soils through the use of organisms already present in this environment, in order to guarantee the good use and maintenance of the land.
“As we are talking about a crop rotation system, in which the off-season of the main plantations is occupied with cover crops, this strategy has a strong contribution to the recovery, conservation and improvement of soils. This care for the land, which accompanies the history of humanity, allows it to provide the environment and nutrients necessary for cultivation, which generates higher volume and quality results for the producer”, reinforces the Gânica consultant.
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